Mark VI Patrol Boats Sail 500 Nautical Miles in Record Transit
By: Ben Werner
January 10, 2019 4:09 PM
Two Navy Mark IV Patrol Boats recently completed a 500 nautical mile transit from Guam, showing Navy planners in the region that the boats could reach nearby island groups to conduct maritime security patrols and disaster relief efforts.
The Mark VI Patrol Boats are intended to be used to patrol littoral areas outside sheltered harbors and bays, providing security force assistance, shipping escort, and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations. The long-range transit was within the manufacturer’s stated range of 600 nautical miles, but the boats had never been pushed that hard in the Pacific Ocean. The recent transit was the longest trip ever attempted by a Mark IV Patrol Boat in the Pacific, according to the Navy.
https://news.usni.org/2019/01/10/mark-vi-patrol-boats-conduct-long-pacific-transit